The invention relates to the processing of photographic material.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,840 illustrates a cartridge containing film which is wound onto a spool. The film has a guide section which is located within and does not project from the cartridge.
A processing laboratory for cartridges of this type is disclosed in the European Patent Application No. 664 483. Here, the film is withdrawn from the cartridge for copying and is afterwards rewound into the cartridge. The cartridge and the copies are then given to the customer.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,686 proposes to rewind the film into the cartridge following development. The cartridge is thereafter placed in a copier which unwinds the film from the cartridge for copying and subsequently winds the film back into the cartridge.
In contrast to the above, films having the conventional small format are removed from the cartridges completely prior to development. Subsequent processing of the films, which are in the form of strips, is carried out independently of the cartridges.
The European Patent Application No. 677 771 describes a processing apparatus which can handle film cartridges as well as filmstrips without cartridges. A filmstrip introduced into the apparatus is first passed through a scanner and then through an exposure or copying station. On the other hand, a film cartridge is placed in a receptacle, and the film is then unwound from the cartridge and transported through the scanner. After being scanned, the leading portions of the film are temporarily stored behind the scanner as the trailing portions undergo scanning. When the entire film has been scanned, the film is wound back into the cartridge which is thereupon removed from the receptacle and placed in a second receptacle behind the scanner. The film is now unwound from the cartridge once more and transported through the copying station. Following copying, the leading portions of the film are temporarily stored behind the copying station while the trailing portions are copied. Upon completion of copying, the film is rewound into the cartridge.
The apparatus of the European Patent Application No. 677 771 is very expensive and difficult to operate.